The band was started by brothers Vaughn Benjamin (August 13, 1969 - November 4, 2019)
(vocals) and Ron Benjamin (keyboard, but later switched to bass) circa 1989 according to an interview with former Midnite drummer Ambrose "Amby" Connor by Midnight Raver. The band's music follows in tradition with the roots reggae bands of 1970s Jamaica. The lyrical portions of Midnite's compositions are characterized as the "chant and call" style which gives their music a spiritually intense and an overtly Rastafari movement feel. The lyrics are centrally focused on the plights of the oppressed, the inherent faults of the current political, economic and social settings on a global scale, and the redemption available to mankind through a life dedicated to Jah.
The Benjamin brothers were raised in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, the sons of Antiguan musician Ronnie Benjamin, Sr. Vaughn Benjamin cites Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, The Abyssinians, and bassist Flabba Holt as his earliest influences.
"Bob Marley has had a big impact. And the drum and the bass from like Flabba Holt. Sometimes I listen to the bass man alone or the drummer alone."
The group's debut album Unpolished was released exclusively in Namibia in December 1997. The album would not see a proper U.S. release until the Rastafaria label released it wide in 2001. They recorded Ras Mek Peace (Before Reverb and Without Delay) while living in Washington, D.C. during the mid-90s, and it was released in November 1999. The album was named so, because it was reportedly recorded live in one room, straight to two-track analog tape. It was mastered without the use of compression or corrective equalization. Like Unpolished, Ras Mek Peace (Before Reverb and Without Delay) is recorded using no mixing board, no filtering, no compression, no equalization, no noise reduction, multitracking or overdubbing, giving it a similar raw sound. The album was recorded using only two-tracks at Mapleshade in Upper Marlboro, MD with studio engineer and owner Pierre Sprey whose recording style is summed up in the phrase he had printed to green Mapleshade T-shirts to promote the studio: NO Mixing Board, NO Overdubs, NO Noise Reduction, NO Compression, NO Multitracks, NO Reverb, NO EQ, Nothing BUT The Excitement of Live Music, MUSIC WITHOUT COMPROMISE.
Later, they returned home to St. Croix in the late '90s to play with local musicians and record at their music studio, Afrikan Roots Lab.
Midnite frequently collaborates with new artists and has played as the back-up band on a number of Afrikan Roots Lab artists' releases, such as Dezarie's Fya and Gracious Mama Africa and Ikahba's Trodding to Zion.
In September 2011, Midnite released their first professionally produced music video for their song "Mongst I&I". The video features members of the band in casual settings and depicts the Rastafarian culture in Frederiksted, United States Virgin Islands (referred to as "Freedom City," St. Croix), and Kingston, Jamaica.
Singer Vaughn Benjamin featured on Tribal Seeds' 2014 album Representing.
The band was featured in the 2014 documentary film Escape To St Croix.
In 2015, the band reformed around co-founder Vaughn Benjamin as Akae Beka without bassist Ron Benjamin. Ras Elyments Took Ron Benjamins Position on Bass. Suren Felton Replaced Ras L on Keys. The reasons for the reformation have been stated as due to "Life changes, convictions and revelations. Stated on the band website was "Due to a medical emergency the tour is postponed" Members of the band themselves won't even say during the recent Akae Beka Coronation Tour in November 2015. '. Akae Beka's first performance took place in Denver, Colorado on July 17, 2015 in honor of Nelson Mandela Day.
Vaughn Benjamin died in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on November 4, 2019, at the age of 50.
In its Top 50 Reggae Albums of the 2K list, reggae news and information website Midnight Raver ranked Midnite's Jubilees of Zion as the best album of the new millennium and 'Beauty for Ashes' as the third best. In its review of Akae Beka's Homage To The Land, Midnight Raver referred to Midnite as "the most revered, influential and prolific reggae act in two decades."
Bushman
Midnite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
You need to overstand
You from the african continent
Just how the black American, stand up
Truly is your brother man
Had they dehumanized and taken your name
Had they fed you swine and fed you shame
Today you would be just the same, stand up
As the people you disrespect and disdain
You have been brainwashed to call each other bushman
But I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
Four hundred and forty years youβre telling I
You said as savages our forefathers died
But the savagery of your now city streets today
Makes me wish to be back in the bush now I say
You are worried about the state where you reside
What about the state of your mind
You are living in scenic places with good graces
While there is chaos among the races
But I and I a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
They paid special attention to my woman
And to our little one
They said if she learns how to eat
From her down pressors hand
Her regeneration will be perpetuation
For she she will teach our little one
Man forced to stud and move on along
Lived so long without community
And then the damage of your false Christianity
But I and I a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
Yeah oh yeah
Yeah oh yeah
Yeah oh yeah truly, truly
They are selling you the illusion of progression
And they are selling you selling you
pure industrial aggression
Because misery truly wants company awhoa
So they are selling you their dysfunctional
psychological tendencies
Skitz a friend in ya
But I and I a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
Hear wha wake from a youth in the morning
You are being programmed and reprogrammed
Watching tell lie vision
Living in a system of pure corruption
They calling it civil lies a shun
What do they have in common
What do they have in common
This tell lie vision in this civil lies a shun
Pure lies, pure lies, pure lies
Absolutism based upon nothing yeah
But I and I a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
A Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
I am a Bushman
Iβm saying yeah whoa yeah
yeah whoa yeah
yeah whoa yeah truly, truly
Math is their tool
Philosophy is their tool
Tek way no ledge
He is their tool
Donβt you know
Donβt you think they know
The system is too far gone
The lyrics to Midnite's Bushman is a powerful commentary on the destructive effects of colonization on African peoples, and how it continues to shape their identity and thinking today. The song condemns the practice of dehumanizing and stripping African peoples of their names and culture, and replacing it with western values and belief systems. The chorus emphasizes the pride and resilience of being a Bushman, despite the derogatory connotations given to it by those who seek to erase their identity.
The first verse of the song discusses the shared experiences of African peoples across the diaspora, and how they have been manipulated and brainwashed to turn against one another. Midnite calls for an awakening, a realization that they are all brothers and sisters, and that they should unite against the forces that seek to divide and conquer them. The second verse acknowledges the brutality of slavery and how it has left an indelible mark on the psyches of African peoples. The devastation caused by the slave trade has forced them to abandon their ways of life and adapt to new forms of oppression, which are just as traumatizing.
The third verse delves into the corrupt systems that seek to control and manipulate society. Midnite warns against the false promises of progress and development, which only serve to perpetuate the status quo. They criticize the media (tell lie vision) for perpetuating lies about the state of the world and the nature of humankind. The final verse calls for a return to truth and wisdom, and to reject the tools and philosophy of those in power. The message of the song is clear: to be a Bushman is to resist the destructive forces of colonization and embrace a sense of pride and self-determination.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Expression of agreement
I am a Bushman
I belong to the tribe of Bushmen, who are native to Africa
You need to overstand
You need to understand the complexities of the African community
You from the african continent
You are from Africa and know the struggles of the people
Just how the black American, stand up
The injustices faced by Black Americans are comparable to those faced by Africans
Truly is your brother man
They deserve respect and recognition as kin
Had they dehumanized and taken your name
If the oppressors had taken away your identity and dignity
Had they fed you swine and fed you shame
If they had fed you degrading and inhumane treatment
Today you would be just the same, stand up
You would still be deserving of rights and respect
As the people you disrespect and disdain
As those who are oppressed and marginalized
You have been brainwashed to call each other bushman
You have been conditioned to use derogatory language towards each other
Four hundred and forty years youβre telling I
For 440 years, they have been told
You said as savages our forefathers died
They were told that their ancestors died as savages
But the savagery of your now city streets today
However, the current state of the streets is more savage than what was attributed to their ancestors
Makes me wish to be back in the bush now I say
The state of society makes me yearn for returning to a natural way of life
You are worried about the state where you reside
You are concerned about the condition of your physical surroundings
What about the state of your mind
What about the state of your mental and emotional health
You are living in scenic places with good graces
You reside in beautiful locations with favorable treatment
While there is chaos among the races
Meanwhile, there is conflict and discord between different races
They paid special attention to my woman
They gave particular focus to my partner
And to our little one
And to our child
They said if she learns how to eat
They warned that if she adopts the habits of the oppressors
From her down pressors hand
From those who oppress and dehumanize her
Her regeneration will be perpetuation
The cycle of oppression will continue through her actions
For she she will teach our little one
She will pass on these harmful behaviors to our child
Man forced to stud and move on along
Men were forced into breeding and to continue their lives without attachment
Lived so long without community
They have lived without a sense of belonging or support
And then the damage of your false Christianity
The spread of a faith that has been used to justify oppression and inequality
They are selling you the illusion of progression
They are fooling you with the idea of forward movement and improvement
Because misery truly wants company awhoa
Misery thrives when more people suffer alongside it
So they are selling you their dysfunctional psychological tendencies
They are selling you their harmful behaviors and ways of thinking
Skitz a friend in ya
Psychiatric disorders can be prevalent in those who are oppressed
Hear wha wake from a youth in the morning
Listen to the message of a young person who speaks out
You are being programmed and reprogrammed
You are being socialized and influenced repeatedly
Watching tell lie vision
Watching television, which often portrays falsehoods
Living in a system of pure corruption
Existing within a system that is completely corrupt
They calling it civil lies a shun
They refer to this as civilization, but it is really a deception
What do they have in common
What connects all of these lies and deceptions
This tell lie vision in this civil lies a shun
The connection between television and the illusion of civilization
Pure lies, pure lies, pure lies
Nothing but falsehoods and deceit
Absolutism based upon nothing yeah
Absolute power is founded on nothing of worth or value
Math is their tool
Mathematics is used as a tool by the oppressors
Philosophy is their tool
Philosophy is weaponized by the oppressors
Tek way no ledge
They take away knowledge and understanding
He is their tool
They use men as tools
Donβt you know
Do you not understand
Donβt you think they know
They are fully aware
The system is too far gone
The system is too corrupt to be fixed
Contributed by Riley T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@BornAlmightyUhuru
βYou are worried about the state where you reside, what about the state of your mind?β Vaughn Benjamin.
@RasMix1
I feel very blessed to say i got to see Midnite at least 6 times every show was different and equally good. RIP Vaugh
@debracambridge5460
forever bless in zion π β¨ π β€ π π π β¨ π
@rafaelstuart3672
17 de Dezembro 2023 FlorianΓ³polis - Sc, curtindo essa pedrada as 00:52hrs e viajando no somβ¦viva o reggae π§π·π§π·
@debracambridge5460
Blessed love β€
@monz3596
Shalom
@jahkgdm
Donβt you think they know the system is to far goneβοΈ
@debracambridge5460
more fire π₯ π€§
@treezeh13
pedra filosofal
@ianken4362
Hopefully one day I won't be able too agree with such a proposition